hair's-breadth, hair's breadth
(ˈhɛəzbrɛdθ)
The breadth of a hair; = hairbreadth.
| 1584 R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. v. v. (1886) 80 Limits..beyond the which they cannot passe one haires breadth. 1638 Baker tr. Balzac's Lett. (vol. III.) 31 There is not a haires breadth of difference betweene them. 1755 Smollett Quix. (1803) I. 101, I am within a hair's breadth of doubting. 1856 Dove Logic Chr. Faith Introd. § 3. 6 Our faith in the fact is not shaken a hair's-breadth. |
b. (See quots.)
| 1706 Phillips, Hair's-breadth, a Measure accounted among the Jews the 48{supt}{suph} part of an inch. 1832 Lindley Introd. Bot. 400 A hair's breadth..the twelfth part of a line. |
c. attrib. or as adj.: Extremely narrow or close = hairbreadth 2.
| 1841 Catlin N. Amer. Ind. (1844) I. x. 72 Our chief conversation was..hairs breadth escapes. 1850 Robertson Serm. Ser. ii. iv. (1864) 52 To draw some subtle hair'sbreadth distinction. 1868 Milman St. Paul's 120. |